Waihape was caught in Wairoa on August 5 when her Subaru station wagon came to a constable's attention.

After pulling the car over, police found two teenagers wearing seatbelts but two toddlers in non-complying child restraints.

When the constable stepped behind the car to let waiting trucks pass, he saw Waihape wind the window up. She then drove away, leading police on a 2-kilometre pursuit through the streets of Wairoa, reaching speeds of 65kmh.

Police arrested her after the pursuit. They then found three children hiding under a cargo cover in the boot. The children were aged 4, 5 and 10.

Waihape was issued with five $150 infringement notices for having five children unrestrained and fined $300 for driving a car without a warrant or registration.

He said Waihape had several children and there were "emotional considerations of children to consider".

"They are embarrassed in school ... do they need the photograph in the newspaper?" he said.

Judge Down said the offences other than resisting arrest were minor traffic offences and he did not believe there was any public interest in having her image printed. He suppressed the use of any image.

Jensen said Waihape's offending was because of "a matter of panic".

The family were in an emotionally vulnerable state because they were returning from Gisborne, where they had attended the tangi of the children's uncle.

When an officer told Waihape that her car would be impounded, she thought she and the children would be left on the side of the road, Jensen said.